What are protists? • Survey of different groupswou.edu/~guralnl/101Protists.pdfPhylogenetic tree • Diverse collection of organisms in the domain Eukarya • Not plant, animal or

Protists

• What are protists?• Survey of different

groups

Phylogenetic tree

• Diverse collection of organisms in the domain Eukarya

• Not plant, animal or fungus

• ~60,000 species• Used to be defined by

mobility

What are protists?• Single cell with

exceptions• Some are aggregates• Multicellular• Reproduce asexually• Some sexual

reproduction• Three modes nutrition:

photosynthetic, absorb, ingest

• Algae, protozoa

Chromists

• Water molds• Brown algae • Diatoms: silica in cell

walls• Diatomaceous earth• Used in toothpaste

and metal polish

Brown algae

Multicellular, mostly marine100m in height

Kelp

Alveolates

• Slime mold• Dinoflagellates• Ciliates• Apicomplexans (no

locomotion)

Dinoflagellates

Ciliates

Apicomplexans

• Plasmodium• Malaria• Transmitted by

mosquito bite• Cycles of 24-48h

Euglenoids and Red Algae

Zooflagellates

• Possess at least one flagella

• Free-living• Symbiotic: • Mutualism: termite gut• Parasites

Giardia & Trypanosoma

Pseudopods

• Amoebas• Helizoans• Foraminferans &

Radiolarins

Foraminiferans & Radiolarins

Chlorophyta

• Green Alga• Unicellular, colonial,

and multicellular• Mostly freshwater• Gave rise to land

plants

Spirogyra